Former American Sailor Confesses to Plotting Attack on Military Base

A former Navy sailor has confessed in a federal court in Chicago to conspiring to attack the Great Lakes Naval Base in Illinois, apparently on behalf of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The U.S. Department of Justice stated that Juanio Harry Pang admitted in court last fall to conspiring and attempting to intentionally damage national defense equipment, national defense facilities, and specifically the Great Lakes Naval Base, with the intent to harm, disrupt, and impede the national defense of the United States. According to court documents, Pang, 38, a resident of North Chicago, confessed on November 6 to the charges of conspiracy and attempting to harm U.S. national defense equipment and facilities. Some American media outlets, such as CNN, reported that evidence suggests Pang apparently acted on behalf of the IRGC to take revenge for the killing of Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the IRGC's Quds Force, who was killed by the U.S. in January 2020. Court documents reveal that about four years ago, he communicated with an individual in Colombia regarding potential assistance for a plan that involved an attack against the United States. An undercover FBI agent, posing as a member of the Quds Force, contacted an individual in Colombia about carrying out an attack. This individual introduced the undercover agent to Pang, who was stationed at the Great Lakes Naval Base at the time. The two communicated online via an encrypted messaging app about potential attack targets, including the Great Lakes Naval Base and other locations in the Chicago area. In the fall of 2022, Pang met three times with another undercover FBI agent. The first meeting took place outside a transportation hub in downtown Chicago, and the other two meetings were held at a train station in Illinois. During these meetings, Pang displayed images and videos of various locations inside the naval base on his mobile phone. He also provided two sets of American military uniforms for use by infiltrators inside the base and a mobile phone that could be used as a detonator for an explosive device. Pang is currently being held without bail and is scheduled for sentencing at a later date. He faces a maximum of 20 years in prison. A federal judge will determine the final sentence considering U.S. sentencing guidelines and other legal factors.